"Definitely better to happen at all," he guarantees, because honestly, before here and with Caulfield, who knows how things could have ended up? Alex had walked away from him more than once, but he stopped that and now they've been together six months. He's stupid lucky, and he knows it. "Helps, really, to not be bogged down in a lot bullshit," he says, finishing his drink and reaching for another.

"I was here without him for five weeks," he admits, "and yeah, I managed, but surviving's not the same as living."

That's the lesson that he's learned over the last six months, and he knows it's a crucial one. "Speaking from experience," he also adds, "I wouldn't give up on anyone, cuz if I had, we wouldn't be engaged."